Vehicle seats conventionally include some type of retention device for securing seat components such as a seat cushion and/or a seat back to a rigid, spring-type framework. During manufacture and assembly, a covering material of one or more layers is stretched around a urethane foam pad or the like to form a cushion assembly which must be effectively secured to a framework to be fixed in a vehicle. Because vehicle seats are subjected to a great deal of wear and abuse, their construction must be sturdy and extremely durable. For safety reasons, it is important that there be a secure anchorage between the covered cushion and its respective framework. It is also important, however, that the retention system provide a method of quickly and simply enabling the connection between the covered cushion and its framework so that the cushions can be easily installed or replaced.
In particular, rugged applications, such as found in industrial and emergency vehicles, cause seat cushions and backs to wear to such an extent that they must be replaced or repaired. Until now, one had to purchase an entirely new seat or employ an upholsterer to fix the damaged or worn covered cushion. In many instances, it is difficult to access the fastening system on such a worn or damaged seat cushion resulting in higher maintenance expenses. It is preferable and more cost effective for an end user to utilize a retention system which will allow a person to easily replace a covered cushion on a framework in a manner which will maintain the integrity of the original seat design in the vehicle as a whole. It is also desirable to provide a retention system which relies upon a locking, snap fit, retainer clip to secure the covered cushion on its framework regardless of the weight placed upon the seat. It is likewise desirable to be able to snappingly disconnect from and reattach a covered cushion assembly to the framework with a minimum of effort and without any tools.
One of the shortcomings in using a retaining clip to snappingly attach a seat cushion to a framework is that only a limited amount of gripping force is available to retain the seat cushion on the framework. This means that a significant or unbalanced load applied on the seat cushion could potentially dislodge the connection to the framework. Accordingly, it is within the purview of the invention to provide a retention system which will exhibit the desirable properties of maintaining a secure engagement between the seat cushion and framework at all times.